Shoe-horn.



J. D. LANE.

SHOE HORN.

APPLICATION rum) JAN. a1, 1913.

Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

JOHN D. LANE, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE-HORN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

Application filed January 31, 1913. Serial No. 745,390.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. LANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of llfassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Horns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a shoe-horn adapted to be made from a single flat blank, and to be grasped and firmly held between a thumb and finger in such manner that it may be conveniently manipulated without interference between the hand and the back of the ankle when the device is being withdrawn from the shoe, and so that such manipulation can be effected without employing great grasping pressure to prevent slipping of the fingers along the shank of the device.

The invention consists in the improved horn which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side view of my improved shoe-horn. Fig. 2 represents an edge view of the same. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. represents an edge view of the horn, held between a finger and thumb.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures. 7

In carrying out my invention, I shape a fiat blank between suitable dies, in such manner as to form a blade a, which is transversely curved, and adapted to be inserted between the counter of a shoe and the heel of the wearers foot, and a cupped or concavoconveXed shank or handle I). The shank is offset from the blade, so that its convex side, at its junction with the blade, forms a shoulder or finger-rest 5, projecting outwardly from the outer surface of the blade. The concave side of the shank forms a thumb-rest 6, adapted to receive the tip of the operators thumb. The rests 5 and 6 both project outwardly from alinement with the blade, so that the thumb and finger grasping the shank are in such position that they do not interfere with the ankle in withdrawing the horn from the shoe.

The rests 5 and 6 enable the horn to be sufliciently grasped and held between the thumb and finger for manipulation, without requiring much strength of grip, because the port-ion of the horn which presents said rests is so offset from the blade that the thumb and finger will not slip, even when the grasp is quite light.

It will be seen that the configuration of the device is such that it may be formed entirely by a single molding or pressing operation, and therefore at a slight expense. The horn may be made of any suitable material, such as vulcanized fiber, sheet metal, etc.

I claim A shoe-horn comprising a blade, and a cupped or concavo-convex shank at one end of the blade, said shank presenting a fingerrest, and a thumb-rest at opposite sides of the horn, said shank being offset from the blade, so that the rests project outwardly from alinement with the blade, all portions of the shank and the blade presenting their concave surfaces toward one and the same side. i

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN D. LANE.

Witnesses:

A. W. HARRISON, J. MURPHY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

